


The Names That We Must Carry

by Antarctica_or_bust



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: All the Elves Love Kíli, Angst, BAMF Dwalin, Backstory, Battle of Azanulbizar, Battle of Five Armies, Bofur is a Sweetheart, Bynames, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Crack, Crack and Angst, Crossdressing, Drabble Collection, Epic Fail, Erebor, Family, Family Fluff, Fic Spans Years, Fluff, Future Fic, Fíli and Kíli Are Little Shits, Gen, Hidden Talents, Implied Relationships, Improvised weapons, Knitting, Mirkwood, Missing Scene, Nicknames, Oblivious Bilbo, POV Minor Character, POV Multiple, Pining, Poignant, Pre-Series, Secretly Awesome Character, Survivor Guilt, Teasing, That Nickname That You Hate, Thorin Has No Sense Of Direction, Thorin Is an Idiot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-19
Updated: 2013-10-07
Packaged: 2017-12-27 01:18:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 3,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/972635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antarctica_or_bust/pseuds/Antarctica_or_bust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oakenshield is not the only byname carried by members of Thorin's company.  Some are badges of honor, some are marks of courage and some their owners just wish they could live down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kíli

**Author's Note:**

> These are in no particular chronological order and their mood will vary wildly, from crack to angst and back again so I'll add the tags as I go. But there is one for each member of the company.

  
Kíli was never going to forgive his brother for starting this, nor the rest of the company for following along. Because it was hardly his fault that all the elves seemed to find his archery adorable and they would leap from the woodwork to hug him as he went by.  
  
While the dwarf did appreciate the elvish ladies and their strange inability to realize where his height put his eyes, Thranduil treating him like some favored pet was a bit too much to bear. So the embarrassment of being cooed over was bad enough without his brother's snickering and the first time that Fíli introduced him as Kíli Elfbait, the archer punched him in the face.  
  
Though Kíli had to admit that he would take Elfbait over being known as the Beardless any day.

 


	2. Óin

Óin had always been known as Lifebringer for his skill with herbs and healing and this was a name which the dwarf had born proudly. Because every warrior whom he saved, every child he brought into the world was one more blow against the endless darkness and he mourned each soul lost as though they were his flesh and blood.  
  
So when their quest had finished and the battleground was strewn with the dying bodies of his brethren, Óin worked his fingers to the bone. But for each life drawn back from the brink, it seemed like two more faltered and the healer began to curse the fates within his mind. Why would the Valar give him this gift only to make him watch as his people suffered? And his heart broke a little more with every dwarf who died.  
  
But he refused to give up hope, scouring the battlefield for those he had a chance of saving and songs would be written about the healer's work that day. For while Óin lost faith in his title when their king slipped through his fingers, a score and more of warriors knew they owed their lives to his unrelenting efforts and they taught their sons to remember the dwarf's name.  
  
Thus Óin Lifebringer would be honored in their history until Mahal's children left the world, even as his guilt turned that title into a burden on his soul.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did say there would be sad ones.


	3. Bifur

These days most people dismissed Bifur as no more than a common toymaker, a strange soul who was pitied for his grunting speech. Even among those who had known the dwarf before his voice was stolen, few remembered the precision with which his words had been uttered and only Bifur's kin recalled the name which had been his.  
  
For the axe that cleaved his skull had taken far more than his ability to speak, it had robbed him of his very place in history. Songweaver, the dwarf had been called, named so by his family's lord for his gift with crafting language and the music in his heart.  
  
He had truly been a master but now Bifur was nothing, a singer without the means to share his vision and the songs he could have written would never be heard.  
  
Only one of his melodies still remained, the first and last lament that the dwarf had ever crafted, though even his family had now forgotten it was his. But whenever the company of Thorin Oakenshield sang of their lost homeland, Bifur listened to “Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold” and smiled.

 


	4. Glóin

Glóin was a simple dwarf at heart and his titles reflected that. When he was young he had been known as Razoraxe for his blade was always sharp and his weapon sliced through ill-made steel as though naught but air.  
  
After the tragedy of Azanulbizar he was renamed Shadowaxe by Thorin when their prince found him on the battlefield, the warrior's blade painted black with orcish blood. It had taken him hours to clean the filth off his weapon and even years later, the edge of his axe retained that inky sheen.  
  
His byname changed one final time during the Battle of Five Armies, Dáin's kinsmen branding him with their awed whispers in its aftermath. Brokenaxe they titled him, eyes wide with admiration, for Glóin had fought until his weapon shattered in his hands and then fought on, wielding the shards like daggers in the defense of his kin.

 


	5. Dwalin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And back to the crack.

Bilbo had never paid much attention to the many ways his companions addressed each other for he already found their given names almost impossible to track. However, the first time that he heard someone call Dwalin Harvestmother, the hobbit simply had to ask. Balin was the one who told him the story because his brother refused to speak of it and by the time the old dwarf finished his tale, Bilbo knew that he would never look at the warrior the same way.  
  
“There was this village, a bit of an odd place really, but they always paid well for smithing so we stopped by every year. However, one autumn they were having some kind of festival and refused to let us enter unless we agreed to take part. Of course since the contest was only open to women, something which we were sadly lacking at the time, the five of us had to improvise. But my dear brother filled out the borrowed dress quite nicely and the men believed us when we swore that dwarrowdams all carried such thick beards. So they declared him the winner, crowning Dwalin Harvest Mother of River's Bend, and those of us who were there to see it have never let him live it down.”  
  
Balin clapped a hand on Bilbo's shoulder when he had finished, walking off with a hearty chuckle at the memory. However, this left the hobbit alone with Dwalin, who pinned him with a ferocious glare instead.  
  
“If you ever call me that, _burglar_ , you'll find out first hand why I'm also known as Skullcrusher,” The warrior promised grimly and the hobbit nodded his agreement with wide eyes. Though later on that night, when he was alone with his thoughts, Bilbo took the chance to laugh hysterically.

 


	6. Ori

Ori had been known as Needlepoint ever since he was a child, a mocking epithet given to him by his bullies when they caught him knitting scarves. They said the dwarf should be glad to have it if he wanted to be known for something since he was too weak to win a proper fight.  
  
But when he cried to his brothers about the smirks and laughter, Dori told him not to worry about the cruelty of children because he would always be special in their eyes. In contrast, Nori had advised Ori to wear the appellation proudly and damn what others thought. “Truly, your talent has helped support this family; you've kept us warm and fed in times of need and it is only right that your title reflects your skill.”  
So the young dwarf had tried to do just that, bearing Needlepoint with pride instead of shame.  
  
But in the Battle of Five Armies, when his knives had lodged in bone and been ripped from his hands, his sling useless in close quarters, Ori had found another reason to be glad for the name. Because the dwarf had carried his needles even into battle and now he pulled them from his tunic to meet the charging warg. Sharp as any weapon, they pierced the monster's eyes with ease and as the creature's twitching body bore Ori down, his last thought was, _No one will ever laugh at my knitting now._


	7. Bombur

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of fluff.

Bombur had never been granted a byname, although he had been part of many armies which had achieved great deeds. But somehow the cook was always overlooked by the bards and tale spinners, no one moment standing out enough to be immortalized in song.  
  
However, the dwarf never minded this for he knew that he had played his role in changing history and he was not one who needed his name remembered for eternity. Bombur already had all the glory he ever wanted in his wife and family, all the immortality of any beloved hero in his children's eyes. So when the dwarf returned home after his long adventure and heard his daughters cry out “Daddy,” this was more than enough.

 


	8. Nori

Sometimes Nori hated his titles because every time his older brother heard them, his eyes grew far too sad. For Dori saw the names as a reminder of how deeply he had failed his family, even as the other dwarf claimed these curses as a badge of pride.  
  
He knew exactly what people thought of him and that Fingersmith and Nooseslipper were not considered compliments. But Nori was also never one to hide from the truth of his position, fallen though it may be, and so the dwarf took these names to heart. Words could not be an insult when you wore them proudly and as long as he was careful, swearing was all that his foes could do.  
  
Though even he never told Ori what these titles meant or why people in their village would sneer them as they went by. His younger brother was in many ways an innocent and the lad would feel far too guilty if he realized how much of their survival was dependent on Nori risking his life. Because times were hard for everyone and this is why Dori looked the other way when the thief slipped off to plunder wealthy houses, never asking where their latest meal was found.  
  
Even after their family regained its station and the dwarf began to use his talents in the service of his king, Nori never gave up the titles he had claimed. The spymaster wanted to remember the gutters that had raised him so he could never become complacent and these appellations served as a warning against his enemies.  
  
Besides, nothing drove the pure-blooded nobles crazier than seeing Nori Nooseslipper walk among them as an equal, and even spymasters liked to have some fun.

 


	9. Fíli

No one ever had the heart to tell Thorin where his nephew's byname came from, not when their leader beamed so proudly the first time he heard the words. But while the dwarf lord saw the name as a compliment to be earned by his heir so young, the others did not call Fíli Truthspeaker for his diplomatic skill.  
  
In truth the name had begun as a joke when Nori and his brothers were ribbing the young dwarf about his habit of stating the obvious and it spread throughout the company like wildfire.  
  
“If there's a key, there must be a door,” Ori would tease in a singsong when Fíli became too serious. “That's proper kingly speech right there, oh great Truthspeaker, please tell me more.”  
  
At this the blond would leap up to wrestle with the scribe until he cried uncle, asking “Who's the kingly one right now?” as he put the other into a headlock and ruffled his hair. But although the rest of the company would always come down on Ori's side of the teasing, Fíli never really minded it because the dwarf knew that he had earned the mocking fair and square.  
  
However, when Thorin overheard Nori asking the Truthspeaker for his wisdom on the weather one day, the joke suddenly became a proper name after all.  
  
So the blond resigned himself to being Fíli Truthspeaker until he managed to earn a better title, comforted by the knowledge that it was still more flattering than his brother's moniker. Indeed, as long as someone didn't know the story behind its gifting, the name sounded rather kingly and perhaps some blackmail or bribery would keep his companions quiet on that point.

 


	10. Balin

Balin was old and tired and his time for earning honors was long past. Truly he needed none, for the dwarf's talents were known far and wide amongst his people and his deeds had already become a part of history.  
  
Silvertongue they had called him during the height of Erebor, his skill with diplomacy an asset to his lord. He had negotiated treaties and marriages, written contracts of all kinds and he counted those creations among some of his finest work. This is how the dwarf wished to be remembered, as one whose talents upheld peace.  
  
But when their shining kingdom had fallen and war took the Sigin-tarâg once more, Balin Orcsmasher marched among the armies of his king. His weapon crushed his enemies before him, shattering the blades and bones of all those who dared to fight, and his foes learned to tremble at his feet. This was a legacy of blood and destruction, one which carried him through exile and despair.  
  
So the dwarf's greatest wish on the journey to reclaim Erebor was that he could finally sheathe his blade for good. Balin dreamed of becoming Silvertongue once more and letting Orcsmasher be forgotten, because only then would he truly believe that they had won.

 


	11. Bofur

When Bofur had been a child, the dwarf had dreamed of earning a byname, no matter how often his brother told him that there were more important things in life. He had lain in his bed and fantasized about some great deed of daring that would paint his name in history.  
  
But that bright-eyed youngling had grown up and realized that he would always be a miner, and so the dwarf learned to be proud of the way rock sang beneath his hands. Because Bofur had a knack for discovering the richest veins and teasing out their treasures and he turned his mind to simpler dreams. Dreams of home and family instead of glory and the dwarf truly was content with that.  
  
However, the first time that someone called him Bofur Hammersong for his skill with iron, the child who still lived within his heart cried out with glee.

 


	12. Thorin

As much as Thorin missed his homeland, there were some things that the dwarf lord was actually pleased to live without. The endless eyes upon him just waiting for a hint of failure, the need to speak with elves diplomatically, and of course that awful name.  
  
Of his companions, only Balin even remembered that his lord had carried a title before Oakenshield, one given to him as a child in Erebor. It had been his father's idea of a joke since Thráin always had a twisted sense of humor and that name had haunted Thorin throughout his early years. How was anyone supposed to take him seriously with _that_ appellation and to a young prince proud of his heritage, it had been enough to drive him mad.  
  
It was hardly the dwarf's fault that traveling above the surface was always so damn confusing, even if everyone else managed to reach their destinations without a detour or five. So calling him Thorin Wanderstep had been completely unnecessary and the way that Thranduil smirked the first time the elf king heard this byname made the young dwarf growl.  
  
Thus while the circumstances took most of the pleasure from the moment, some part of the dwarf had rejoiced when his bravery at Azanulbizar had earned him Oakenshield and his former appellation was swept from memory.  
  
All memories but Balin's who delighted in whispering Wanderstep when his lord was being snotty and still refused to let him hold the maps.

 


	13. Dori

Dori had never desired glory for the word had meant tragedy all too often in his long life. But as the tide of goblins poured toward his companions, the dwarf had no time to think of the songs of honor that would be written when they died. There was only the battle, the weight of his sword in hand and the stench of blood which coated every breath.  
  
Until his younger brothers fell beside him, Nori struck by a wicked arrow and Ori trapped beneath the warg that he had slain, and Dori's mind went red. No filthy goblin was going to hurt his family, not after he had kept them together through exile and disgrace.  
  
So the dwarf stood as a wall before them, teeth and weapons bared, and even the orcs quailed slightly beneath the mad challenge in his eyes. But his foes still attacked, rushing forward only to meet the sharp edge of his blade. For Dori could not be budged from his position, not when his brothers' very lives depended on his strength. Instead he protected them and bled for them and when the carnage finally ended, the dwarf had not moved an inch.  
  
Later on, when the battlefield was emptied and the dead had been buried, Dori first heard the murmurs of Deathwall among those who'd seen him fight. But even though the dwarf thought the title rather overdramatic, as he looked upon his younger brothers' sleeping faces, Dori decided that he could live with that.

 


	14. Bilbo

Along the course of his journey, Bilbo Baggins was granted many titles, none of which he ever knew about. For the hobbit completely failed to notice each attempt to label him, perhaps because none of the appellations ever seemed to stick.  
  
Deadweight was the first, given to him by Dwalin when the burglar first joined Thorin's company and a source of amusement to the dwarves for days. However after Bilbo stood against the Defiler, this mocking seemed inappropriate, though the younger lads sometimes referred to him as Warghelm behind his back.  
  
Instead the older dwarves called him Ironheart for his bravery and only the hobbit's modesty kept him from realizing. He always assumed that they were discussing someone else for he was nothing special and even once the title shifted to Spidersbane, the burglar still failed to catch on.  
  
In Mirkwood Thranduil cursed him as misbegotten Traitorspawn after Bilbo helped the dwarves escape his dungeons, though the elf king never knew the hobbit's proper name. And once Smaug had flown from Erebor, his companions celebrated him as the Dragonchaser while they were in their cups.  
  
But this title did not last long, for when Bilbo betrayed them, the House of Durin named him Heart-thief and exiled him from their kingdom on pain of death. If none of the company was quite sure which heart this name referred to, one of their lords' or the mountain's, no one had the courage to ask the question then. Indeed perhaps it was most telling that this was how the dwarves would always remember their burglar, Bilbo written thus in myths and history.  
  
Yet when the battle had finished and his fences had been mended, there was nothing for the hobbit in Erebor anymore. Not when it's king and princes lay entombed beneath the earth and so it was with a heavy heart that he began the long road home. And when the burglar returned to the Shire, older and wiser for what he had been through, Bilbo gained another name as well.  
  
Dwarflover his more unpleasant neighbors whispered behind the hobbit's back, Mad Baggins the Dwarflover and they never knew how right they were.  
  
  
  
 _End_

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally inspired by [this prompt](http://hobbit-kink.livejournal.com/8973.html?thread=19122701) which has a few other interesting fills as well.


End file.
